Francis underwent his second and more substantial biopsy today. Arriving at 3:00 I was there when the nurses taught student nurses how to prep a patient for biopsies. The younger and older nurses were good humored but Francis teased them right back. Finally around 6:00 pm I followed as they wheeled him down to the OR. I sat during that 2 hour period, even half reclined to take a nap, in the waiting room. Around 8:00 I saw Francis' name on the large computer screen indicating he had moved out of the OR, and that the time of the surgery itself was 18 minutes, 35 seconds.
Then Dr. Agren came out to talk with me. He reassured me, answering my first inquiry, that he was able to get enough sample tissue using the first lumbar fracture alone as entry point. Good news that he was able to avoid cutting up Francis more than a tiny 1/4 inch incision on his back! In fact the nurse who wheeled him out joked that the incision was so small he could wear men's bikinis.
When Dr. Agren said "There's definitely something there," I didn't ask what he meant. But when he added we could finally have a treatment plan now, I mentioned that Francis might choose to opt out of chemo and radiation. His facial expression told me he wasn't going to tell Francis what they, the doctors, would do. Without our saying so explicitly, I could see he readily agreed that it's Francis who will choose among the options. He's a good, caring doctor!
When Francis was wheeled back to his room I was happy to see he was conscious and smiling. He said he didn't know he had a smile, to which I answered it was a kind of Buddha-like smile. Before leaving the hospital at 9:30 I helped his nurse take care of Francis' needs.
Will he be able to come home now that the biopsy is done? Not sure. The pain patch's effectiveness is still being worked out, and his sodium level, left on its own, went down again to 123. So we'll see. Yet no matter what, Francis' good humor and patience sustain him. And me also, to see him so.
Posting Problem
More than one of you said you tried to post on the blogspot but couldn't. (You'd have to open an account with google for that.)
So after her brother's wedding this weekend, Susannah (who set up this blogspot) will set us up with www.caringbridges.com where anyone CAN make comments with no strings attached.
In the meantime Susannah will be continue posting my updates on this blogspot. And you'll get instructions when it's time to make the switch.
I found a third egg today
Francis ate the first one, I'm letting the second one harden (takes a month or two) to give to Rowan. And I ate the third pullet sized egg tonight. Francis was correct, -- tasty and fresh, -- unbeatable!
Ever grateful,
Elaine
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